INGREDIENTS:
1 bunch of collard greens
1 half of a spring red onion
1 teaspoon bacon fat
2 cloves of garlic
2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
1 cup dense chicken stock
2-4 tablespoons olive oil
4 ounces orange juice
Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
METHOD:
Bring a 3-quart sauté pan of water to a boil over high heat.
Strip the leaves from the stems and slice them in a fine chiffonade.
Place into cold water and rinse any grit from the leaves.
Slice the onion thinly into half-moons and break up the slices.
Drain the leaves and immerse them in the boiling water and cook for around 10 minutes. The collards should be brighter in color and have lost their “raw” taste. If they cook longer don’t fret as collards can take a lot of cooking without suffering for it.
When the greens are cooked, drain them into a colander.
Add the bacon fat and olive oil to the pan, and lower the heat to medium. Add the onions to the pan and toss to coat evenly with the oil.
While the onions cook, peel the garlic cloves and de-germ them. Slice finely.
Cook the onions until soft and starting to caramelize. Add the garlic and cook until softened and fragrant, but don’t let the garlic burn.
Add the greens back into the pan and stir the greens around.
Add in the balsamic vinegar and cook to reduce the vinegar by half.
Add the chicken stock, and simmer to reduce the liquid by 80 percent or until it starts to thicken.
Add the orange juice and stir the greens around in the liquid to coat evenly.
Cook to reduce the liquid to a sauce-like consistency or until there are just 2 tablespoons of “sauce” left. Season with salt and pepper and serve.
YIELD: Serves 4
SOURCE: Chef Andrew Cohen
